New Zealander of the Year +SCIENCE

WRITTEN BY SARAH LANG PHOTOGRAPHED BY KEN DOWNIE

Margaret Brimble

Winning a prestigious international award is just the latest accolade in a glittering scientific career.

hen Professor half en Français/half in English. But it synthesising biologically active natural Margaret Brimble was when a documentary about her life in products, she provides novel compounds strode off her science flashed onscreen that it suddenly used to develop new drugs. To look at it plane and into all felt surreal. (“I couldn’t quite believe I another way: she studies natural toxins, Paris’s Charles de was there — we all applaud arts and sports reproduces them in the lab (this can take WGaulle International Airport in February, but science? Not often.”) years), sees how they affect nervous- she was greeted not by a welcoming After the ceremony she gave more than system cells and — by manipulating their committee but by herself: well, a life-size 50 interviews to everyone from US Biotech chemical structures — turns them into new photo of herself stooping over shellfish on to Russian Vogue. With answers prepared therapeutic agents. Piha Beach. All around the airport, posters for the three-hour media conference, she The main targets are medicines for cancer, were plastered of the five laureates in the was still thrown when an interviewer cardiovascular disease, peptic ulcers, fungal prestigious 2007 L’Oréal-UNESCO for breathlessly wondered what qualities she agents and Alzheimer’s. Currently the Awards (nothing to do looks for in a man. “Luckily my husband team is manipulating the properties of two with makeup — the award is sponsored Mark had taken [their nine-year-old shellfish toxin families to develop treatments by L’Oréal, commissioned by the United daughter] Rebecca to the Louvre!” for pain, epilepsy, hypertension, cancer and Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural At just 46, Brimble’s list of global honours, stroke. And in partnership with Auckland- Organisation, and bestowed by a jury of the lectures, committees, projects, articles and based Neuren Pharmaceuticals, the Brimble world’s scientific elite). teaching posts would take up this entire Group has synthesised NNZ2566, a world- Awarded for pioneering organic chemistry page. For nine years she’s held the chair first, traumatic brain-injury neuroprotective and drug development, the University of organic and medicinal chemistry at the agent, now in the second stage of clinical of Auckland professor was the first New (she established the trials, and it has developed a promising Zealander to receive the Asia-Pacific country’s first medicinal chemistry degree Parkinson’s treatment. Laureate (worth $NZ145,000). Accepting there in 2001) where she heads the 27- Brimble insists that nurturing our small the award at UNESCO headquarters in strong team the Brimble Group. pharmaceutical industry is imperative to front of 2000 eminent guests, Brimble Brimble describes her research as “a keep both the profits and young scientists in resurrected schoolgirl French to speak complex game of molecular chess”. By New Zealand. A proud Kiwi who’s spurned

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overseas offers to remain here, Brimble says stem cells migrate throughout the adult of Lincoln University released his book she experienced her laureate “first as a New brain — even diseased ones. Previously, Devil in the Milk: Illness, Health and Zealander, second as a scientist and third scientists believed human adult brains Politics, A1 and A2 Milk, claiming A1 as a woman”. But she’d love her award to were incapable of making new cells. milk protein beta-casein is causing inspire more young women to enter male- This opens the way for brain damage- health problems. Despite a New Zealand dominated laboratories. repair treatments and the University of Food Safety Authority campaign Auckland has received ethical permission promoting milk as safe to drink, the to try to grow repair cells in post-mortem farm management and agribusiness Honourable human brains. In November our human- professor’s work — capping a decade brain world expert — who established of research linking A1 to health issues Mentions the Neurological Foundation Human — may lead our largest company, Brain Bank at the University of Auckland Fonterra, to switch to only A2 beasts. to support international research on In October, the NZFSA announced an Good news for the one in five New human neurodegenerative diseases — independent expert review of both the Zealanders who suffer Parkinson’s, was awarded New Zealand’s top science science related to A1/A2 milk, as well as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, stroke or epilepsy honour, the 2007 Rutherford Medal. a response to the Woodford book and — in February, University of Auckland the safety of New Zealand milk. And Professor Richard Faull published the Keith Woodford no, Woodford has never held shares in world-first discovery that immature In September, Professor Keith Woodford A2 Corporation. +

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